Create a docker image/container from EC2 AMI

Question

I am very new to docker and am trying to import my AWS EC2 AMI into a docker image. The image is a m2 linux image.

I have also setup a private docker hub(artifactory) to which I intend to push the image and make it available for consumption. What are the steps for importing AMI into docker image without starting from a base image and updating.

Pointers to any explanation would work too.

score 32 · Answer 1 · edited Mar 28 '19 at 01:22

32

Here is how I did it.

On source AMI locate root volume snapshot id in the description

/dev/sda1=snap-eb79b0b1:15:true:gp2

Launch instance with public Ubuntu 14.04 AMI
Create volume from snapshot snap-eb79b0b1 (in the same region that the instance runs).
Attach volume to the instance as /dev/sdf
mount volume to /mnt

mount /dev/xvdf /mnt

(or)

mount /dev/xvdf1 /mnt

install docker

https://docs.docker.com/engine/installation/ubuntulinux/

import docker image from mounted root volume

tar -c -C /mnt/ . | docker import - appcimage-master-1454216413

run

docker run -t -i 6d6614111fcb03d5ca79541b8a23955202dfda74995d968b5ffb5d45c7e68da9 /bin/bash

edited Mar 28 '19 at 01:22

Akira Yamamoto

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answered Feb 01 '16 at 07:18

user2153517

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Couple comments 1) mount /dev/xvdf1 /mnt 2) Docker install with script https://docs.docker.com/engine/installation/linux/docker-ce/ubuntu/#install-using-the-convenience-script – Neftanic Aug 30 '17 at 18:47
This answer totally worked. However, I'm unable to run a container from this image. How did you do it? – Keith Harris Oct 22 '18 at 05:38
I can't run it as well, does this answer still work? Or amazon modify something? – rj487 May 29 '19 at 21:54
@CodaChang Are you using amazon linux or amazon Linux 2? – Anuj Kumar Apr 19 '20 at 12:23
@AnujKumar I was trying to use RetHat7 image in AWS. – rj487 May 06 '20 at 23:36

score 3 · Answer 2 · edited Dec 03 '18 at 15:48

3

Docker can create an image from a tar file using the docker import command. From the documentation:

Usage: docker import URL|- [REPOSITORY[:TAG]]

Create an empty filesystem image and import the contents of the tarball 
(.tar, .tar.gz, .tgz, .bzip, .tar.xz, .txz) into it, then optionally
tag it.

So you should be able to create a tar archive from your AMI image and then feed that to docker.

edited Dec 03 '18 at 15:48

IsidroGH

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answered Mar 29 '15 at 01:54

larsks

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'So you should be able to create a tar archive from your AMI image and then feed that to docker.' - how do I do that, I don't see an option in AWS to convert your AMI to tar ball. – Scooby Mar 29 '15 at 17:54
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You could boot an instance from that particular AMI and then run `tar` inside the instance, for example. – larsks Mar 29 '15 at 17:55
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What does run tar inside the instance mean ? I would still need to throw something at tar. – Scooby Mar 30 '15 at 00:50
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@Scooby I would mount the target EBS volumen you want to dockerify as a non-boot volume on another instance. Then a syntax like `tar -czvf drive-image.tgz /media/my-external-drive`, assuming you mounted the volume at `/media/my-external-drive` and you have enough disk space on the root volume to hold the tar file. – Mark Stosberg Sep 16 '15 at 13:48

score 1 · Answer 3 · edited Feb 20 '20 at 09:04

1

When creating the tar file cd to the directory and tar the tree from there.

cd /media/my-external-drive
tar -czvf /tmp/drive-image.tgz

And then to create the image ...

docker import /tmp/drive-image.tgz

This allows the dockerized container to create the correct paths when you run it.

edited Feb 20 '20 at 09:04

Nic Wanavit

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answered Dec 02 '15 at 22:45

user5632604

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Create a docker image/container from EC2 AMI

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